Compressor mechanism



Aug. '18, 1931. F. D. HOLDSWO'RTH COMPRESSOR MECHANISM Filed April 14,1924 3 Sheets-Sheet, l

Aug. 18, 1931.

F. D. HOLDSWORTH COMPRESSOR MECHANISM- Filed April 14, 1924 3Sheets-Sheet. 2

1931- F. D. HOLDSWORT-H 1,819,709 7 COMPRESSOR MECHANI Filed April 14,1924 3-Sheets-Sheet, 3

- line 44 of Fig. 2.

" 1 n iS m-being oinitted.

Fig. 6 isv a longitudinal vertical section throughthe valve mechanismfPatented Aug. 18, 1931 "UNITED STATES N OFFICE" 1mm) 1). nornswon'rn, orenammon'r, NEW nmrsnmn; Assienon; 'ro SULLIVAN MACHINERY comrnnmnoonronn'rron or MASSACHUSETTS COMPRESSOR Application filed April 14,

able compressors, although the same ma be 1 used wherever it is desiredto reduce vi ration to a-minimum. An object of the invention is toprovide an improved portable compressor. Another object is to provide ingeneral an improved portable I compressor and portable mounting lotherefor. A further object is toprovide an improved compressor mechanismhaving cooperating elements thereof so arranged that vibration will bereduced to a minimum. A further object is to provide a multi-cylindercompressor which is extremely compact. A

- further object is to provide an improved valve mechanism which isreadily accessible, a still further object being to improved type ofvalve, parts 0 whichare held by exterior "means. A further object is toprovide improved means for unloading the various cylinders ofthecompressor in steps to assist in reduction of vibration. A

further object is to provide an im roved oiling system for a compressorw ereby the bearings will be automatically oiled.-

In the accompanying drawings I haveshown for purposes of illustrationone form which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of the compressor supported upona portable mounting, parts bein% omitted to facilitate illustration. ig.2 is a side elevation of the same.-

I Fig. 3 is 'a vertical transverse sectional view, partially inelevation, taken on'li-ne 3-3 of Fig. -21 Fig. 4 is a'vertiealtransverse-section on Fig. 5 is .a longitudinalvertical section on line5 -5 of Fig. 4, part of the mecha- I Figs. 7. and 8 are-modified formsof 'com .pressors. I 1

" Fig.9 is atra'nsverseview taken on line Y 99' of Fig. 5, the detailsof which are ap-- 80 plicable to the various forms of unitsshownf rovidean 7 the compressor and engine to'be mnor'ulmsu 1924. Serial No.-706,583.

Fig. 10 is anapproximate crank'efl'ort diagram, I

In my improved typeof portable co'm' pressor I provide a vehicle havinga frame 1 mounted upon front steeringwheels and .rear wheels 2 and 3,respectively. 'Mounted within the forward portionof theframe 1 is ausual driving motor 4' having-all the 'accessories necessary for itsnormal operation but which need not be described here. Disposed to therear of the engine A is my im} proved compressor-5, the crankshaft 6' ofwhich is connected to the engine shaft 7 by. an improved form offlexible shaft connector 8shown in Fig. 5 ascomprising-anexternal gearin mesh with an internal gear connected respectively to the shafts 6and- In order to further carry out the compact arrangement it is to benoted that the shaft connection 8 is disposed within a recess 23 of theflywheel, thereb allowing hrought exceedingly close-to each other. It isalso to be noted that the flywheel has a cover 24, thereby giving fullprotection to the operator. 3' This connecting means will be more fullydescribed later where the novelty of certain structure embodied thereinwill be more apparent.

fThe compressor which forms one phase of this invention comprisesa crankcase 10 having a lower cover 11 with an oil reservoir 11 and oil pocketsformed therein so-that the lubricant may be supplied to various vpartsof the compressor, .as by the usual splash system. In portablecompressor outfits there is. no fixed foundation and-hence it is highlydesirable to provide a compressor in which vibration is reduced to aminimum; otherwise the whole outfit including the engine, frame andreceiver will be shaken and. all the connections to these variouselements 1 thereby loosened, thus lessening the life of the outfit as awhole In a stationar -out- I fit, the-z cooperating elements such as t een'- gine and receiver would be mounted on heavy substantial supportingstructures, and these supporting, structures would hold the engine andreceiversteady, so that they would not w be materially afl'ected even bya compressor which might have considerable vibration. It is thus seenthat the applicant has been confronted with a really serious problem. Toovercome such defects I use a V-type -compressor having a plurality ofcylinders 12,

herein four, twoof which are disposed on each side of a vertical planepassing through the crank shaft 6. Mounted within the cylinders areusual pistons 13 connected to crank shaft 6 as by connecting rods 14. Asclearly shown in Fig. 5, cylinders lying in the same transverse planehave their connecting rods connected to the same crank of the crankshaft. Thus for a four-cylinder compressor a two-throw crank is all thatis necessary. In order to further reduce vibration a compressor flywheel15 is mounted on the rear end of crank shaft-6, while the engineflywheel 16 is disposed adjacent the front end of the compressor, thusacting as a flywheel for both the engine and the compressor. If thefly-' wheels were all located at the front of the compressor, the crankshaft would be subjected to greater torsion at the front end and wouldthus tend to throw the forward crank out of the plane in which the rearcrank lies. When the two cranks are idle they lie in the same plane andhence balance each other. However, by the applicants construction anytendency to twist the cranks out of the same plane and thus causevibration is reduced to a minimum because the energy stored in the rearflywheel will assist in rotating the crank shaft from the rear endduring compressing action by the piston, thereby reducing the tendencyfor any wide range of torsion and thus keeping the cranks in as, nearthe same plane as'is possible. It is to be understood that when thecranks do not lie in the same plane the weight of the cranks do notbalance eachother and thus set up serious vibration. A modified form ofcompressor is shown in Fig. 7, which like the V-type compressor, allowsa dual function to be performedfnamely that of reducing vibration to aminimum and providing an exceedingly compact arrangement, therebyallowin ample overhead space within which auxiliary means may bedisposed. Such an arrangement thus permits the many advantages beforementioned while at the same time not requiring any compressor capacityto be sacrificed. The compressor as shown is of the opposed cylindertype having cylinders 75, the pistons therein being driven by afour-throw crank shaft 76, thereby insuring perfect balance.

In order to adequately lubricate the bearings I have provided animproved'oiling system' which utilizes both a-splash and gravity vide apocket 18 transversely disposed adjacent the upper portion of theflywheel where it will readily catch oil thrown off from the same. Areservoir 19 is disposed along the uppermost portion of the crank casing10 and between the cylinders on the opposite sides, this reservoirhaving com-' plate 25 adapted to cover the upper end of the cylinders,and a casing 26 which has formed therein a longitudinal bore 27 and achamber 28. The bore 27 and the chamber 28 are in. communication, aflange 29 being formed between the two. Passage. 30 opens out of bore 27into the cylinder 12. Discharge chamber 32 leads out of chamber 28, andat its other end has connection with a receiver 33 as by apipeconnection 34. The valve mechanism proper for controlling the flowfrom the cylinder comprises a valve cage 35 having a flange seated uponthe flange 29 and ports 36 disposed therein. A valve 37 adapted to closeand open the ports 36 is held in position by asuitable guard 38'which inturn is fixed to the cage 35 by suitable securing means. As shown, theguard is secured to the cage 35, and the whole is secured in positionwith .the flange seated upon the flange 29 by a nut and'bolt connection39. The bolt is threaded into the cage 35 and also projects outwardlythrough an opening 40 in the rear wall of the casing 26. A nut 41engages the outer end of the bolt 39 to hold the cage 35 in fixedrelation to the flange29. Opposed to the cage 35 is a second cage 44adapted to project inwardly of the bore 27 and held therein as by boltsor other suitable means, the valve 45, which is adapted to open andclose the ports in the cage 44, be-

ing held in position by a guard 46 and nut and bolt connection 47. Meansare provided for positively actuating the valves 45 so as to keep theports open and thereby unload the compressor, this means comprising anout.- wardly extending member 50 having a chamber 51 therein which isalined with and has communication with the interior of the cage 44, andwhich has communication with the atmosphere as by ports 52. Projectingwlthin the member 50 is a cylinder member 55. Actuating fluid isdelivered at suitable times by a pipe 60 to the interior of the cylindermember 55 to act upon a piston which is adapted to move longitudinallytherein against the action of a spring. The stem 54 of the said pistoncarries a plurality of valve i engaging 53 of=-the usual type whichpressure reaches a predetermined high value extend within the cage 44 tocooperate with the valves 45 in the manner specified above. The deliveryof'actuating fluid to the cylinder member is controlled by a Judsonvalve '57 the well known function of which is to allow flow of fluidfrom the receiver to the unloading mechanism when receiver thereby tounload the compressor until the receiver pressure falls to apredetermined low value whereuponthe Judson valve allows re- 7 lease ofthe actuating pressure fluid for the unloading mechanism.

In rder to further reduce vibration, the

applicant proposes to use a novel unloading arrangement wherebytwocylinders will be unloaded at a time, the position of the cylindersselected being such that the thrust on .the crankshaft due tocompressing willbe kept at a minimum and distributed throughout thelength of the crank shaft. To accomplish this, the applicant unloadsboth cylinderson one side of the longitudinal vertical planeand pumpswith the cylinders on the other side. When it is desired to completelyunload the compressor, the latter cylinders are then unloaded. Thisunloadin is accomplished b Judson valves 57 wh1ch.con-

uid to the cylinders 55 of the above named pair of cylinders 12 as bylpipes 60, flow of fluid to the Judson valves emg through a pipe .61connected to the receiver '33. It is to be noted that the valvemechanism has its axis disposed in the same longitudinal plane as themotor which thereby. reduces the overall width of the compressor to aminimum.

It is to be noted that in my improved portable compressor I haveprovided an extremely -compact arrangement of all the elements. Forinstance, in Fig. 3 the gasoline tank or-other auxiliary apparatus, isdisposed in a veryflow position over-the com-' pressor due to the V-typecompressor. and within the vertical limits of the receiver 33. I-havealso provided an arrangement whereby a relatively large'receiver may beused and i as yet which will -not'increase the overhead dimension, itbeing noted that the receiver 33 is fixedto angle irons 66 secured atone end to the frame 1' and at the other end to the receiver 33intermediate its ends as by angle braces 67. Thus the top of thereceiver is no higher than the uppermost point in the whole outfit whichis a decided advantage, namely, that the portable outfit will not etopheavy and thus reduce vibration to a mlnimum. In order to provide thesimplest form of iping between the compressor and receiver it will benoted that pipe 34 leading from each compressor 'block terminates in acommon upwardly extending pipe 68 which has communication with thereceiver as by a horizontal pipe 69.. The usual blowofi' tard movementof the crank shaft.

valve 70 extends upwardly from "68 in- 4 stead of being mounted onthe-receiver. V This makes it unnecessary to drill additional holeswithin the receiver. It will herein be'noted that the wheeled truckl isprovided with a suitable roof and side cover members housing the engineand compressor units and the associated mechanism. It is to be notedthat the oilpassage 19, in the form of the compressor shown in Figures 5and 7 comprises 'a channel 0 ening directly to the exterior and iscovered 'y a transversely V-shaped plate 77 which can be held inposition b an suitable means such as screws an ma e. leak-proof by anyusual gasket means. In the modified form of the compressor shown in Fig.8, the same has -vertlcally disposed cylinders. It has a flywheeldisposed on the 'rear end of its crank shaft the same as the compressorsshown 'in Figs. 5 and.7 so as to obtain the nicety of balance due to theparticular dieiposition of the same relative to the engine In thismodified form of the compressor, an oil pipe 78 will conduct the fluidfrom the reservoir 18 to the front. end of the com pressor instead ofhaving a channel.

It is well .known that. in portable compressors vibration is verynoticeable for there is no firm or fixed foundation, and hence it isywheel 16. v

highly desirableto reduce. all causes for any tial force exerted onaicompressor crank will occur substantially when -a maximum tangentialforce is exerted on one of the engine, cranks caused by an explosion inthe engine cylinder. In Fig. 10 the line 90 represents generally a crankeffort diagram of one engine crank, it being notedthat durin com:pression of the fuel the line 90 will all below the zero line 91 andafter it has reached the head-end dead center, an explosion will occurcausing the tangential force upon the crank shaft to increase to amaximum andthen decrease as the same approaches its crank-- end deadcenter. The crank eflort diagram also generally indicates at 92 thetangential force'of acompressor crank and is shown as having a maximumcrank e'fiort. at 93. It is to be noted that in the engine diagram thatportion which extends above the zero line 91 will be of a positivedriving nature, tending to turn the crankin one direction, while theporhe diagrams are placed on the'same side so as to tion of thecompressor diagram disposed above the zero line 91 will be tendin to re-1 show more clearly how the resisting and driving forces in the twocrank shafts will rise and fall together. It has been discovered that bydisposing the cranks of the engine shaft at an angle of approximately 90with respect to the cranks of the compressor shaft, the maximumresisting force is offered by the compressor substantiallysimultaneously wheel and then the compressor shaft subjected to a highstress during com ressing action by the energy stored in the ywheel,

which operation would cause torsion in first one shaft and then 'theother, thus causing a very noticeable vibration. By my improvedarrangement such disturbances are very noticeably diminished. It ,willof course be understood that my improved arrangement is particularlyadapted for a one, two or four cylinder compressor, but would also be ofma terial advantage in other types. To make sure of obtaining the'properangular relation of the compressor and engine crank shafts as requiredto accomplish my improved result,

I have shown improved means for ensuring such a relation. I

This means comprises the connection 8, as shown' in Fig. 5, thisconnection includes as one of'its members an internal gear 80 bolted tothe flywheel 16 of the engine as by a plurality of equally spaced bolts81 and a bolt 82 unequally spaced with respect to the other bolts. Hencethe internal gear 80 can only have one position relative to the crankshaft 7 as it would be impossible to place said gear in anotherposition. Disposed on the compressor crank shaft 6 is a spur gear 83adapted to mesh with the internal gear 80. In order that the engine andcompressor crank shafts .shall have only one possible angular relationfor assembly, a pin 84 is positioned within a hole drilled in the spurgear between adjacent teeth, while one tooth'of the internal gear is cutout leaving a vacant space 85. Thus, in assembling these gears the'pin84; will need to be positioned so as to come w1th1n the vacant space.85, and it will be noted that such position is the only one that it canhave, for

.in attempting to cause the same to take any other position the pin 84would engage one-of theinternal gear teeth. It will of course beunderstood that any number of difierent.

means may be employed to accomplish this same result, this disclosureherein forming only one of the several means.

While I have in this application specifical- 1y described three formswhich my; invention may assume in practice, it will be understood thatthese forms of the same are shown for purposes of illustration and thatthe invention maybe modified and embodied in various other forms withoutdeparting. from its spirit or the scope of theappended claims.

What I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is r I 1. Aportable compressor 111g an engine having a flywheel provided with anaxially disposed recess, a compressor comprising a shaft, and flexibleconnecting means disposed within said recess for transmitting torquefrom the motor to the shaft of the compressor.

2. In a portable compressor outfit, in combination, an enginehavingapower shaft, a compressor comprising a shaft disposed inalinement with said power shaft, and a combined flywheel and flexiblecoupling having members fixed to the adjacent ends ofsaid shafts, saidcombined flywheel and flexible coupling comprising a flywheel memberprovided with an axially disposed recess and a flexible coupling membersecured thereto and disposed within said recess. I 3. portablecompressor comprising a crank case, a crank shaft having bearings,angularly disposed cylinders with, pistons therein, a flywheel, areservoir adjacent said flywheel to hold an initial supply of oil whichsurrounds said wheel and a second reservoir adapted to catchoil thrownup by said wheel, a chamber disposed in said crank case and havingcommunication with said reservoir, and passage means between saidangularly allow flow of oil thereto from said chamber. 4. A compressormechanism comprising angularly disposed c linders and pistons, a

crank shaft. for drivlng said pistons, a fly-Y wheel on said crankshaft, a crank case formed with a reservoir ortion to hold an outfitcomprisdisposed cylinders and leading from said, chamber near thebearings to be lubricated to from said basin portion to parts to belubri- I "cated. I I I I I I 5. A compressor comprising a plurality ofcylinders, reciprocable pistons cooperating therewith, a single crankshaft for causing reciprocation of said pistons, and unloading means for,unloading the cylinders in 'sets so chosen that in the cycle of thesaid crank shaft the times of maximum compression of the cylindersselected for unloading are equally spaced. I I

6. A compressor comprising a plurality of angularly disposed cylinders,reciprocable pistons cooperating therewith, a single crank shaft forcausing reciprocation of said pistons, and unloading means for unloadingthe cylinders in sets so chosen that in the cycle of the said crankshaft the times of maximum compression of the cylinders selectedfor-unloading are equally spaced.

7. A compressor comprising a angularly disposed cylinders and pistons,driving means therefor comprising a crank shaft and connecting rods forthe pistons, a plurality of rods, being actuated by each. crank, andunloading means adapted to unload one set of cylinders at a time, a setincluding only one cylinder in driving relation with-each crank.

8. A compressor comprising a plurality of angularly. disposed cylinders,reciprocable pistons cooperating therewith, driving means thereforincluding driving connections for the pistons so arranged as to equalizethe distribution of the impulses for the various pistons throughoutthecyele of the driving with each cylinder, a connecting rod cooperatingwith each piston, a orank shaft having a crank for each group, theconnecting 'rods cylinder of each group. plurality of 13'. Acompressorcomprising a plurality of cylinders and, pistons, means forreciproeating said pistons in said cylinders comprising a crank shafthaving its cranks disposed at an angle of 180 with respect to eachother, a pair of said pistons being connected to each of said cranks,andunloading means adapted to unload, one cylinder. of each pairindependently of unloading of the other cylinder of each pair.

Intcstimony whereof I affix my signature.

1 FRED D. HOLDSWORTH.

means, and unloading means for unloading the cylinders in sets so chosenthat in the cycle of the said driving means the times of I maximumcompression of the cylinders selected for unloading are equally spaced.

9. A portable compressor outfit comprising'a frame, an. engine disposedto the front end thereof having a crank shaft, a compressor also havinga crank shaft and a plurality of angularly disposed cylinders, saidcrank shafts being in alinem'ent, a vertically disposed fluidstoragetank carried intermediate its ends by said frame and to the rearof v and substantially in alinement with said compressor, and a'sec'ondfluid storage tank for said outfit disposed above said compressor andwithin substantially the vertical limits of said first fluid storagetank. I v10. In combination, a compressor and driving means thereforboth of which have a crank shaft with relatively angularlydis-' posedcrank arms, and means for correlating the said shafts so that themaximum tange'ntial forces on the respective shafts occur substantiallysimultaneously comprising connecting means'formed to have a singlerelation in which they can be assembled. i

11. The combination comprisin a com- T pressorhaving a crank shaft, acylinder and a piston, and a reciprocating piston type of driving motortherefor having a crank shaft,

the crank arms of the respective shaftscon- .stituting driven anddriving arms, and means for correlating the said shafts comprisingconnecting means formed with intermeshing portions, one of said portionspreventing assembly of said connectlng means 1n other than a singlerelation. i 5

12. (A compressor comprising .a plurality of cylinders groupedinpairs,the cylinders of each pair being disposed with their longitudlnal axesat an angle,a piston cooperating

